14 Jul DEVARIM: THE PROPER RESPONSE TO CRISIS

In the famous
Haftara of “Hazon
Yeshayahu”
(Yeshayahu, chapter
1) which is read on the Shabbat
before Tisha B’Ab, the prophet
bemoans the fact that although the
people have been stricken with crises
and calamities, they persisted in
their wrongdoing without repenting.
He cries, “How else can you be
stricken, that you add more wayward
conduct?!” (1:5). G-d punished the
people for their wrongdoing, but they
did not take the punishments to heart
and continued their sinful behavior.
Yeshayahu then exclaims, “Kol Rosh
Lo’holi Ve’chol Lebab Davai” –
which literally means, “Every head is
ill; every heart is pained.” The Hid’a
(Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai,
1724-1806), however, added another

interpretation, explaining this verse
to mean, “every head is preoccupied
with the illness, and every heart
worries only about the pain.” In other
words, the prophet decries the fact that
in response to the pain and suffering,
the people are busy only with trying
to find practical solutions. When they
fall ill, their sole concern is finding the
right doctor and treatments, instead
of introspecting and improving their
behavior. The Gemara in Masechet
Berachot (5a) teaches, “If a person
sees that suffering is befalling him,
he should examine his actions.”
Of course, it is appropriate and
necessary to take all necessary
practical measures to alleviate one’s
plight, such as, in the case of illness,
seeking medical attention and strictly
following the doctors’ instructions.
However, the Hid”a explained,

Yeshayahu here laments that “Kol
Rosh Lo’holi” – the only thing on
the people’s minds was the malady
and the practical measures for curing
it, as opposed to also concerning
themselves with Teshuba. When we
find ourselves experiencing any sort
of hardship, we must understand that
although we obviously cannot know
for certain why G-d brought this
situation upon us, He expects us to
respond by examining our conduct
and making real efforts to improve.
If our minds and our thoughts are
preoccupied only with curing the
illness or solving the problems, then
we are not responding properly.
When trouble strikes, we must
respond by taking an honest and close
look at ourselves, identifying where
we have room to improve, seeing
which positive changes need to be

made, and making a genuine effort
to grow and be better. We will then
be worthy of seeing the end of all our
troubles and the arrival of Mashiah,
speedily and in our times, Amen.